^^ Is that Robb and Catelyn? I can't tell. If so, it's not too tragic, because they do see each other again. They die in the same room together, in fact...

Click to expand...

It is Robb and Catelyn. The line is at the end of the conversation where he orders her south to treat with Renly. Cat is distraught because she wants Robb to trade Jaime Lannister for Sansa and Arya, which of course he can't do. Robb tries to comfort Cat by saying when the war is over, they'll get the girls back and the family will be together again.

So, yeah, knowing what happens to them later on, that's a pretty sad line.

The second and third novels were produced over a four-year span. Hopefully he can get back to that kind of schedule. As I've said before, given how much money is now at stake for various parties, it wouldn't surprise me if he quietly makes use of a ghost co-writer to speed things up.

Click to expand...

I read somewhere, but can't remember where, that Martin once described the series as a trilogy--A Game of Thrones, A Dance with Dragons, The Winds of Winter.

But not as many might think: originally A Game of Thrones ended with the Red Wedding. If that is true it would explain why he was able to get the first three books out so quickly--they were originally one novel that he decided to break into three, sort of like Lord of the Rings but by author rather than publisher fiat.

Of course that might also mean that by his original plan we may still only be in Book Two based on where Crows and Dragons ended.

The second and third novels were produced over a four-year span. Hopefully he can get back to that kind of schedule. As I've said before, given how much money is now at stake for various parties, it wouldn't surprise me if he quietly makes use of a ghost co-writer to speed things up.

Click to expand...

I read somewhere, but can't remember where, that Martin once described the series as a trilogy--A Game of Thrones, A Dance with Dragons, The Winds of Winter.

But not as many might think: originally A Game of Thrones ended with the Red Wedding. If that is true it would explain why he was able to get the first three books out so quickly--they were originally one novel that he decided to break into three, sort of like Lord of the Rings but by author rather than publisher fiat.

Of course that might also mean that by his original plan we may still only be in Book Two based on where Crows and Dragons ended.

Click to expand...

I don't know how true that is, but I'll roll with that idea here. If it's true, I actually think he's mostly on "Book Three" now, it's just going to take two novels to tell it all instead of just one. AFFC/ADWD are primarily the resolution of several plot issues that had long been giving Martin fits, which is why it took more than a decade to write them. Supposedly, with The Winds of Winter, he's more or less back on track, which hopefully means he'll be able to get it and A Dream of Spring finished sooner. I'm sure by this point he's just as eager to finish the series as we are to see him finish it.

The titles for episodes seven and eight of the second season have been revealed, along with further confirmation of the title of episode nine. We now have the titles of all of season two's episodes save the season finale:

1. The North Remembers
2. The Night Lands
3. What Is Dead May Never Die
4. Garden of Bones
5. The Ghost of Harrenhal
6. The Old Gods and the New
7. A Man Without Honor
8. The Prince of Winterfell
9. Blackwater

The titles for episodes seven and eight of the second season have been revealed, along with further confirmation of the title of episode nine. We now have the titles of all of season two's episodes save the season finale:

1. The North Remembers
2. The Night Lands
3. What Is Dead May Never Die
4. Garden of Bones
5. The Ghost of Harrenhal
6. The Old Gods and the New
7. A Man Without Honor
8. The Prince of Winterfell
9. Blackwater

George R.R. Martin has revealed that he'll be writing the seventh episode of the third season and that the episode has the working title of "Autumn Swords". He confirms that, as expected, the third season will have 10 episodes.

One thing I think they should have shown in the last episode is that making the shadow baby took a significant toll on Stannis - hence why shadow babies can't be produced repeatedly to do Stannis' bidding. I think that would have assuaged a lot of the complaints from viewers who haven't read the books. Maybe they'll explain the cost of the shadow baby later, but I think it should have been dealt with already.

Oh that's nice. I remember reading some commentators who seemed convinced that the series had written Shireen out of the family tree - i.e., have Stannis as a childless man, just as Davos' many sons coalesced into basically one character.

And, sadly, not being marriageable means she has no purpose in Westeros...

Click to expand...

In the event of Stannis' death she'd be his heir, as sterile as she is (and for that matter, Daenerys is). Doesn't seem terribly likely that the book series will end with a barren Queen Shireen on the Iron Throne, but hey, it's... something.